Auburn's offensive tackle battle could define the 2026 season. Fall camp will determine whether Stanton Ramil or Jo Simmons wins the left tackle job, with the loser likely shifting to the right side in one of the Tigers' most important position battles.
As fall camp is about to begin for the Auburn Tigers, one position battle worth watching could have a huge impact on how successful the season goes in 2026.
The offensive line arguably has some of the biggest concerns among most when the Tigers offense was discussed earlier this month at SEC Media Days, as the starting five is still not solidified just barely a month away from the first game of the year.
As for the tackle spots, two players seem to be sticking out among the rest, but what side they play on remains to be seen.
That question will be all up to Stanton Ramil.
Ramil didn't transfer to Auburn just to start. He transferred to make an immediate impact inside the SEC. That's what makes the offensive tackle battle one of the biggest storylines to watch over the next few weeks. And one that could totally shape the season for Alex Golesh in his first year as the Tigers' head coach.
Coming over from Michigan State, Ramil arrived with experience inside the power conferences at the left tackle position. He started in 5 games last season for the Spartans, including one against the eventual National Champions, the Indiana Hoosiers. An injury kept him out the rest of the season, but he has the pedigree to hold down the blindside entering the season.
The only problem? (if you want to call it that).
Jo Simmons has given Auburn every reason to believe he deserves that job, too.
Another transfer coming to the Plains this season, Simmons has more starting experience, including 13 games started at left tackle just last season, however it was done in the Sun Belt, not the Big Ten.
How much does that matter? That is yet to be determined.
Although many players on the Tigers offense who are projected to make a big impact for the team in 2026 are making the jump from the Group of Six to the Power 4, doing some inside the trenches is a different beast.
The confidence that coaches on the Auburn staff have about players such as starting quarterback Byrum Brown seamlessly transitioning his game from South Florida to Auburn may be one thing, but lining up against SEC defensive linemen every week may take more of an adjustment.
If Simmons does that well, which the coaching staff will get a good look at beginning next week, then Auburn has one of the best problems to have. Two starting tackles ready to go for the season opener.
If I were to predict it now before the season truly begins, Simmons and his college football experience he gained from playing for James Madison last season help him win the left tackle spot, and Ramil slides into the right side.
And if this offensive line overachieves, then Jo Simmons might find his way back to the CFP at the end of the season.
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